JennaDish

Baked Buffalo Wings

These are the hot wings Alyssa made this year on New Year's Day.  Delish.
 

I got fancy with the empty Frank's RedHot bottle.

Baked Buffalo Wings
Compliments of JennaDish

from Leesah on Allrecipes.com

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 chicken wings
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot®)

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place the flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt into a resealable plastic bag, and shake to mix. Add the chicken wings, seal, and toss until well coated with the flour mixture. Place the wings onto the prepared baking sheet, and place into the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Dip the wings into the butter mixture, and place back on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and crispy on the outside, about 45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.

 

Roast Chicken with Two Lemons

Happy New Year! 

This holiday season I was off work December 23rd to January 2nd.  Alyssa and Jill and Allen were also all home, and we did a lot of cooking.  On New Year's Eve Alyssa made meatballs and spaghetti (1st time Marcella Hazan, 2nd time Bobby Flay recipe), then she and Jill left for separate parties.  On New Year's Day (today) Alyssa made Buffalo Wings and I made Cuban Black Bean Soup.  Other dishes we made over the break were this chicken, baby back ribs, pork barbecue, pot stickers, crepes with Nutella and banana, and I made and froze some Asian meatballs for a future meal.  All recipes are either posted or forthcoming.

Hardly any sweets! Unbelievable.

I'm pretty sure this Marcella Hazan recipe will be my go-to recipe for roast chicken from now on.  It's easy and straightforward.  Just like I think it's supposed to be.  No brine, no rubbing herbs under the skin, no onions tossed hither and fro, no broth or butter or oil or peppercorns for Pete's sake.  No basting, no fancy trussing, no fussing.

Just salt and pepper all over, stick a lemon or two in the cavity, truss with toothpicks, tie legs loosely in their natural position.  Plop in a dry pan breast side down, turn it breast side up 30 minutes later, and that's about it.

As Ms. Hazan's recipe foreword describes it, "After you put the chicken in the oven you turn it just once.  The bird, its two lemons, and the oven do all the rest."  That's absolutely true. 

I don't like cutting a bird at the table.  Very unattractive.  So in the future I'll cut it in the kitchen and serve it on a platter.  Also, Nigella Lawson says her mother used to roast two chickens at a time, one to serve that day and one to keep in the fridge to pick at through the week, or use in another recipe.  Good idea. 

UPDATE:  I purchased a Granite Wear roasting pan (photo below) from Walmart for $13 that works great and cleans up perfectly.  Many years ago, I refused to go into Walmart because I think they are one of the reasons small businesses can't make it and American manufacturing is being outsourced.  But with the economy I can't try to save the world by myself.  We need to change bigger things in this country than where Jenna shops.  But at least this pan is American made, so that helps.  Same pan with Martha Stewart's name on it at Macy's is $20. 

I know I know.  This is the weirdest bird I've even bought, a separate one from the top photos.  Broken wing, skin slightly strange in places, not perfectly de-feathered.  But oh well. It's an Amish chicken so it was a very nice quality otherwise.  Mainly I wanted to show the pan and how much liquid comes from the chicken, with no oil or buttered added.

Roast Chicken with Lemons
Compliments of JennaDish

from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

A 3- to 4-pound chicken
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
2 small lemons (or 1 large)

PREHEAT oven to 350^o.

WASH the chicken thoroughly in cold water, both inside and out.  Remove all the bits of fat hanging loose.  Let the bird sit about 10 minutes on a slightly tilted plate to let all the water drain out of it.  Pat it thoroughly dry all over with cloth or paper towels.

SPRINKLE a generous amount of salt and black pepper on the chicken, rubbing it with your fingers over all its body and into its cavity.

WASH the lemons in cold water and dry them with a towel.  Soften each lemon by placing it on a counter and rolling it back and forth as you put firm downward pressure on it with the palm of your hand.  Puncture the lemons in at least 20 places each, using a sturdy round toothpick or similar implement.

PLACE both lemons in the bird's cavity

CLOSE up the opening with toothpicks or with trussing needle and string.  Close it well, but don't make an absolutely airtight job of it because the chicken may burst.  Run kitchen string from one leg to the other, tying it at both knuckle ends.  Leave the legs in their natural position without pulling them tight.  If the skin is unbroken, the chicken will puff up as it cooks, and the string serves only to keep the thighs from spreading apart and splitting the skin.

PUT the chicken into a roasting pan, breast facing down.  Do not add cooking fat of any kind. This bird is self-basting, and will not stick to the pan (I can attest to this).  Place it in the upper third of the preheated oven.  After 30 minutes, turn the chicken over to have the breast face up.  When turning it, try not to puncture the skin. 

COOK for another 30 to 35 minutes, then turn the oven thermostat up to 400^o.  and cook for an additional 20 minutes.  Calculate between 20 and 25 minutes' total cooking time for each pound.  There is no need to turn the chicken again.

You can leave the lemons in while carving and spoon the juice over the sliced chicken.

Southern-Style Deep Fried Chicken

Happy Election Day !!!

When you have a food blog, and the food you take pictures of is other people's dinner, sometimes if you're not quick enough, those people start chewing on your subject matter. 

I was darn lucky to grab this lone chicken leg left on the serving plate in time to get a shot for this post.

Or else I'd be describing a fried chicken leg.

I can't believe I'm posting a recipe for fried chicken.  It's not like I've been successful.  I don't even fix fried chicken for dinner.  I think the last time was in the 90's sometime.  And that is obvious by the grease splatters on my novice hands and arms.  However it did give me the opportunity to discuss my war wounds at the office.  "Look at my burn I got from making fried chicken!" I bragged as they looked at me with a worried smile.  I can't help it. My personality profile explains that I "become enthralled by flora and fawna" or something to that effect.

Well, blah blah blah, let's get on with the point of my post.  This is the best fried chicken I've ever cooked.  Which isn't saying much.  So in addition I will say it may be the best I've ever eaten.

I've heard that soaking chicken in buttermilk was the answer, in the past, but that didn't work great for me.  However I had never heard of nor tried this method ...

... cooking the chicken in boiling milk.

Hmmmm.

Then when it's time to fry it, you are only crisping it up rather than worrying about it cooking all the way through. You put flour and a touch of cayenne pepper in a bag, coat the chicken, roll the pieces in egg, coat a second time and fry.

I got this recipe from Nigella Lawson on the Food Network website.  I've been reading through her most recent cookbook, Nigella Kitchen, and she does have a bit of a spin on the usual recipes.  So I was anxious to try this new method out.

(Now watch me start seeing this same method popping up everywhere suddenly.  Making me feel like I've been living in the back woods for decades. Hate it when that happens.)

Needless to say, it worked brilliantly.  Used chicken legs and thighs.  I guess the milk makes it tender.  I could get my science book out and try to explain why the milk makes it tender, like some people do on their blogs, or I could school you on the origins of cooking meat in milk.  Or the history of the chicken.  Or maybe the first person to eat one?  Or I could just be truthful and say I don't know, and I don't care and if you care that much, I'm not sure I like you anymore. 

Southern-Style Deep Fried Chicken
Compliments of JennaDish

from Nigella Lawson, Food Network

2 chicken drumsticks, skin on
2 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
3 to 4 cups milk
2 1/4 cups solid vegetable shortening, for frying
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg, beaten

In a medium pan, place chicken and cover with milk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. This helps tenderize the meat, but is optional

In a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, using tongs, transfer chicken into pot, then pour in the milk. Bring milk to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low allowing to simmer until the chicken is cooked through entirely, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the milk, and place on a rack to cool. Allow them to sit until warm about 15 minutes, and then pat dry using a kitchen towel.

Heat vegetable shortening in a Dutch oven over high heat just until it's nearly at the smoking point around 325 degrees F.

In a large zip-lock bag, add salt, flour, cayenne pepper, shake to combine.

In a medium bowl, beat 1 egg.

Place each piece of chicken, 1 at a time, in the bag and shake to coat the chicken. Then dip chicken into the egg to coat. Place the chicken back into the flour to coat for a second time. Repeat this method on remaining 3 pieces of chicken.

Gently drop each piece of chicken into hot oil, allowing the skin to crisp and turn golden brown in color, about 1 minute per side. Remove from the oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately.

Happy Anniversary JennaDish!

 

This year of cooking has been fun... here's hoping year 2 is even better.

 

Chicken, Penne and Roasted Asparagus in Rosemary Garlic Sauce

Another awesome dish from made by Alyssa. 

She found a base recipe at Allrecipes, added baked boneless chicken and rosemary ...

chopped roasted asparagus...

and made some other tweaks. 

Chicken, Penne and Roasted Asparagus in Rosemary Garlic Sauce
Compliments of JennaDish

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

It was suggested in some comments that this dish does not make good leftovers, so make enough for a meal only.  Use Amish chicken for the most tender meat.  

Baked Chicken:

2 medium-large chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken stock
several sprigs fresh rosemary

Sauce and Pasta:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup finely chooped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
8 oz. dry penne pasta (1/2 of a 1-pound box)
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Chicken:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour chicken broth in a small baking dish leaving about an inch around and in between chicken breasts, salt and pepper chicken and place in broth.  Lay rosemary sprigs on chicken.  Bake until cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove chicken from oven and keep warm on plate, discarding the broth and rosemary.

Roasted Asparagus:
Turn oven up to 400 degrees.  Cut or break off last 2 inches of spears. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet, drizzle olive oil over them, roll back and forth to cover with oil, sprinkle with a little salt.  Roast about 10-25 minutes (depending on thickness) until tender and crispy.

Pasta:
Meanwhile, prepare water and start cooking pasta according to package directions until al dente, or just before it is tender. 

Sauce:
Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over med-low heat.  Add the onions; cook and stir until well done 5-10 minutes.  Add garlic and saute about 1-2 minutes, watching closely not to burn. Stir in chicken stock and rosemary, and increase the heat to medium high.  Reduce by half, cooking about 8 minutes.

Cut chicken into pieces, toss in skillet with pasta, asparagus and sauce.  Serve immediately.

White Bean Chicken Andouille Chili

Aw dwee yuh.  Way too French.  I prefer New Orleans' Americanized pronunciation:

Ann Dewey.  Andouille.  Ann Dewey.  Andouille.

Exactly.

White Bean Chicken Andouille Chili
Compliments of JennaDish

1 Tblsp olive oil
1-2 yellow onions, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 links chicken adouille sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can (7 oz) roasted green chiles or 1/3 cup Fontova Tomatillo Salsa
4 cups chicken stock, low sodium preferred
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans
salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheese, diced onion, sour cream, fresh cilantro for serving

Hea tthe oil in a Dutch oven or similar pan over medium heat.  Add onion, cook 3 minutes, add garlic cook another 2 minutes.  Add chicken sausage and cook until almost done, about 5 minutes.  Add the stock, beans and chiles or salsa.  Simmer uncovered on low heat 20-30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with your favorite combination of accompaniments such as sour cream and cheese.

Chicken Curry Hot Pot

My first Japanest Hot Pot.  East meets West.  This should be interesting.

I chose a recipe that I thought the fam would tolerate - Chicken Curry.  I did well.

And here it goes...

Cook chicken and onion...

add curry ...

add a brew of chicken broth, sake, soy sauce, and a smidge of sugar...

add potatoes, celery, carrots, negi (or Spring onions or leeks), cabbage, garlic and fresh ginger...

Cook until tender (and add some ramen in case you're concerned your teenager will snub her nose at all the veggies - at least I know she'll eat the noodles)...

dish it up in an authentic bowl from Japan brought to you as a gift by your teenage Japanese guest from last May (that's a very specific instruction, isn't it?)...

here it is without the broth to show off the chicken and such.

The verdict?  Everyone really liked it.  The picky sisters didn't pick anything out.  Will definitely make again. 

And the actual pot.  Love it.  Doesn't stick, keeps things hot, and cleans up very easily. 

Chicken Curry Hot Pot or Kare Nabe
Compliments of JennaDish

from Japanese Hot Pots by Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sake
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( 1 to 1.5 pounds), cut into 1/4" thick slices
1 medium Spanish onion (about 3/4 pound), cut crosswide into 1/2" thick slices
1/4 cup curry powder
1/4 small head green cabbage (about 1/2 pound), cut into bite-size pieces
2 stalks celery (about 1/2 pound), sliced on an angle into 3" long pieces, 1/4 " thick
1 medium carrot (about 1/4 pound), peeled and sliced on an angle into 3" long pieces, 1/4" thick
1 medium Idaho potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1/4" thick slices
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 negi (Japanese onion) (or 2 spring onions)

Prepare the broth by combining the chicken stock, sake, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.

Add the oil to a hot pot and place over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the chicken, stirring and cooking until the chicken turns golden, about 2 minutes.  Add the onion, stirring and cooking for 2 minutes.  Add the curry powder, stirring and cooking for 1 minute more to caramelize.  Add the reserved broth. 

Pile the remaining ingredients in the pot.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Decrease heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.  Simmer until the veggies are cooked to your liking.

Transfer the hot pot to the dining table.  Serve in bowls.  Suggested side dish: Individual bowls of steamed rice.

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 
Heaven... I'm in heaven,
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.
Oh I've seemed to find the happiness I seek,
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek
We should eat Chicken Tortilla Soup each week.

slightly adapted from Irving Berlin

Who wants to dance cheek to cheek when you can be stuffing your face with tender-cooked, free-range chicken and tasty veggies in a spicy broth with fresh avocado and cilantro, sour cream and cheddar cheese toppings?  Ooh ooh and crunchy corn tortilla strips.

 
 
The problem with soup is that it's a little more difficult to get a good picture of the complexity of what all is going on in the dish.  So I put the soup in a little glass dish and put the toppings on in a layer so you could see better.  That's because I'm an INFP.  That's the Myers-Briggs personality type that stands for: Introvert, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving.  INFPs are called the healer, idealist, or dreamer. 

"INFPs are introspective, private, creative and highly idealistic individuals that have a constant desire to be on a meaningful path. They are driven by their values and seek peace. Empathetic and compassionate, they want to help others and humanity as a whole."

You see why I need to put the soup in a glass bowl for you? 

By the way, do you see a baby turtle in the soup above?  (the piece of chicken in the middle). He's facing to the right and has a little horn-shaped, prehistoric-looking nose.  I think he's laughing because his mouth is wide open - or is that a piece of corn stuck on his face? 

"INFPs never seem to lose their sense of wonder. One might say they see life through rose-colored glasses. It's as though they live at the edge of a looking-glassworld where mundane objects come to life, where flora and fauna take on near-human qualities."

Is this guy standing behind me?  Would you call chicken floating in soup "mundane?"  I think not.  But what do I know?  I'm a dreamer and I "see" things in flora and fauna .

 

Here's some naked Chicken Tortilla Soup.  Waiting to get dressed.

Good News!  This is a crockpot recipe.  Yay!  And here's a Make Ahead Tip:  I combined all the ingredients the night before, except the corn and chicken which goes in later, and put it in a pitcher.  And then in the fridge because we don't want bacteria soup.  You can cook the chicken ahead also and have it ready. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Compliments of JennaDish

from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Soup:
28-oz can diced tomatoes, with the juice
10-oz can red or green enchilada sauce
2 medium yellow or white onions, chopped
4-oz can chopped green chiles, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups water
14.5 oz can chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf (I consider this optional and left it out)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano (regular or Mexican)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (free range or Amish is best)
One 10-ounce can Mexican style corn (I used Green Giant Mexicorn)
corn tortillas
vegetable or canola oil for brushing tortillas

Toppings:
cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream
diced avocado
fresh cilantro

Combine the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onions, chiles, garlic, cilantro, water, broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and oregano in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Add the shredded chicken and corn, cover, and continue to cook on LOW for another hour.  Discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400^oF.  Lightly brush both sides of each tortilla with some of the oil.  With a knife, cut the torillas into thin strips(or the size you wish).  Spread out the tortilla strips on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Bake until crisp but not browned, turning once halfway through baking, 8 to 12 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowl.  Sprinkle each serving with tortilla strips and grated cheese.  Top with a tablespoon of sour cream or crema Mexicana, then with a few slices of avocado and cilantro sprigs.  Serve immediately.

 

Perfect Roast Chicken

 

I was strolling through the cookbook section at Joseph-Beth Bookstore, and I had a little bit of extra time to look because my husband was listening to Betsy Ross for a "meet the author" event.  She wrote  Playing Ball with the Boys: The Rise of Women in the World of Men's Sports.  As far as I knew, she was a local news anchor in the 90s who just disappeared off the TV machine never to be heard of again.  Little did I know she went on to anchor at ESPN for 5 years, then started her own company, teaches a Masters course at Xavier University, and on and on.  I think she also may have sewn the first American flag.  That's a pretty good resume.  I was glad to see her doing so well.  I really liked her when she did our local news.

So anyway, in the cookbook section was a book on food styling.  I thought it would show how to present food on the table in a beautiful way.  No, it was for food photographers.  Evidently, for my chicken photo, I could have gotten out my glue gun, some cardboard, some reddish spice to coat the whole chicken in, and some spray lacquer.  Then my chicken would look like America's Next Top Chicken Model.  Personally I would rather see an honest photo of how my recipe will look when I'm finished.  Are ya with me?

Here's Alyssa's first bird in Fall 2009.  Kodak EasyShare camera, bad lighting. Were the chicken's legs really that purple? 

Perfect Roast Chicken
Roasting at high heat obviously makes for a crispy bird, as in the photo.  If the skin is getting crispy on the outside before it's done on the inside, put aluminum foil over the bird loosely until done.

Adapted from Martha Stewart recipe

SERVES 4

A 5-6 pound roasting chicken (buy a high-quality free range or Amish chicken)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 lemon
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat

Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times to loosen the pulp. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork or cut in half. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. (Optional: Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.)

Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Some people rub herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) and butter under the skin also. Place chicken in pan, breast side down, on onion slices.   Place in the oven, and roast 45 minutes, then remove from oven and turn chicken breast side up.  Continue roasting (about anohter 45 minutes) until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, for a total cooking time of about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.  It should read 165F to 170F. 

Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken rest 15 minutes so the juices distribute into the meat. (This is where we stop.  Continue if making gravy.)  Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side. 

**My Note:  Alyssa tied the legs of her first roast chicken and the skin between the legs were not browned. So she has roasted her chickens free-style since.  Either works so you just have to decide which you prefer. 

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

 
Baby, it's cold outside! 

Not really.  But at least it's finally below 80 degrees.  It's time for some hot, soupy, chicken pot pie with a flaky, ooey-gooey, well-done crust. 

Cook veggies, flour, chicken,broth, milk and half n half to make filling.  Pour in individual bowls and top with puff pastry.

Trim and fold under the pastry edges.  Brush with egg white and bake 25 minutes. 

Let rest briefly.  The more you let the inside cool, the thicker the broth.  About the crust: I'm not a food photographer (newsflash!) so although the top photo left looks cheesy and the bottom photo looks greasy, I assure you the crust is neither one.  The egg white coating is playing tricks with our eyes.

 

Oh who wants to wait for it to cool or thicken.  I'm diggin' in.

Our Chicken Pot Pie:  350 calories, 15g fat (8g saturated), 650 mg sodium

Boston Market Pastry Top Chicken Pot Pie: 800 calories, 48g fat (18g saturated fat, 7g trans fat), 1,090 mg sodium

Chicken Pot Pie
Compliments of JennaDish

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

from Cook This Not That

2 T butter
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups stemmed and quartered white or cremini mushrooms
2 cups frozen pearl onions
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (leftover or pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken borth, warmed
1 cup 2% or whole milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
salt and black pepper to taste
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Heat the butter in a large saute pan or pot over medium heat.  When it's melted, add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent and the carrots begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and pearl onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 mintues.  Stir in the chicken and the flour, using a wooden spoon to ensure the vegetables and meat are evenly coated with flour.

Slowly pour in the chicken broth, using a whisk to beat it in to help avoid clumping with the flour (having the broth warm or hot helps smooth out the sauce).  Once the broth is incorporated add the milk and half-and-half and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened substantially and lightly clings to the vegetables and chicken.  Stir in the peas.  Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Cut the pastry into quarters.  Roll out each piece on a floured surface to make a 6" square.

Divide the chicken mixture among 4 ovenproof bowls.  Place a pastry square over the top of each bowl and trim away the excess with a paring knife; pinch the dough around the edges of the bowl to secure it.  Brush the tops with the egg whites and bake until golden brown about 25 minutes.

 

How to Make a Frittata

 

A frittata is very much like a pizza in that it's so versatile.  You can be fairly simple and conservative with ham and cheese or you can choose ingredients that give it a distinct flare.  Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean, gourmet, cheese, or go Elvis Presley-style and throw in oddball ingredients from the fridge. 

Here's the general formula:

2 people - 8" or 10" skillet - 6 eggs
4 people - 10" skillet - 8 eggs
6 people - 12" skillet - 12 eggs

A frittata is similar to an omelet.  Once you start cooking the eggs, they will be done within a short time, too short to cook the fresh or frozen veggies or meat.  So you start by sauteeing or steaming anything that needs longer cooking.

For this sample I'm using red peppers, onion, jalapenos, garlic, rotisserie chicken and cheddar cheese.  I had frozen veggies from the market, so they were all chopped and ready to go.  Cook them in olive oil a few minutes on medium heat until softened ...

If using harder veggies and/or uncooked meat, like sausage, potatoes or asparagus, you need to steam/saute them.  (Of course, bacon you would just fry separately.) 

To steam/saute: In skillet, drizzle olive oil, add 3 Tablespoons of water and minced garlic and salt & pepper to taste, add the harder veggies and uncooked meat (not the soft yet), put the lid on the pan and steam on medium to med-high heat until veggies are just soft and tender.  Take the lid off and you will notice that when the water totally evaporates, the oil is left and the veggies start to saute.

... then throw in any softer stuff that would cook quicker.  In my case it's minced garlic which would have burned with the other veggies by now. Throw in the cooked chicken another minute, just long enough to heat.

Remove from heat temporarily and lightly beat the eggs in a bowl.  

Make sure the veggies/meat are distributed evenly in the skillet, put back on the burner, sprinkle cheese evenly over the veggies/meat and pour the eggs on top.  Do not stir.   Cook until the edges are set, about one minute.

Place in a 400F oven and heat about 10-12 minutes or until eggs are set and do not jiggle. 

Remove from oven and let rest away from heat for a couple of minutes, loosen the edges with a knife, place a plate upside down over the skillet and flip the frittata onto the plate.

 

Above is a 6-egg frittata made in a 10" skillet, so it is a more shallow result.  Use the same amount of eggs in an 8" and you'll obviously have a taller result. 

Some ingredient ideas:

Hearty: Ham, Asparagus, Onions, American Cheese
Italian: Hot or Mild Italian Sausage, Potatoes, Parmesan
Mediterranean: Tomatoes, Olives, Feta
Gourmet: Roasted Red Peppers, Fennel, Wild Mushrooms, Goat Cheese
BBQ Chicken: Chicken, Corn, Beans, BBQ sauce, Smoked Cheddar
Veggie: Mushrooms, Artichokes, Pesto, Mozzarella

You get the idea.

Frittata
Compliments of JennaDish

adapted from Pam Anderson, author of How to Cook Without a Book

swirl of olive oil for sauteeing
filling ingredients
salt & pepper to taste
garlic clove, minced
4-12 eggs, depending on #servings
1/3 - 2/3 cup shredded or crumbled cheese (optional)
fresh or dried herbs to taste

2 people - 8" or 10" skillet - 6 eggs
4 people - 10" skillet - 8 eggs
6 people - 12" skillet - 12 eggs

Preheat oven to 400F.  Place rack in middle or just above middle position.

If using only softer veggies (onions, peppers) and cooked meat, cook veggies in olive oil a few minutes on medium heat until softened then throw in the cooked meat to warm and blend...

If using harder veggies and uncooked meat, steam/saute.  In skillet, drizzle olive oil, add 3 Tablespoons of water and minced garlic and salt & pepper to taste, add the harder veggies and uncooked meat, place lid on pan and steam on medium to med-high heat until veggies are just short or being soft and tender.  Take the lid off and throw in any softer veggies and continue to saute until all ingredients are just cooked.

Remove from heat temporarily and lightly beat the eggs in a bowl.  

Make sure the veggies/meat are distributed evenly in the skillet, put back on the burner, sprinkle cheese evenly over the veggies/meat and pour the eggs on top.  Do not stir.   Cook until the edges are set, about one minute.

Place in a 400F oven and heat about 10-12 minutes or until eggs are set and do not jiggle.

Remove from oven and let rest away from heat for a couple of minutes, loosen the edges with a knife, place a plate upside down over the skillet and flip the frittata onto the plate.

Serve alone or with something light, like salad or fruit.

Healthier Chicken Parmesan with Fresh Basil

Wow.  Look at those fresh basil leaves.  Did I overdo it?

Dear Kids

The only thing I can remember from my childhood in regard to herbs is that Grandma Shirley viewed  people who cook with fresh herbs as a bunch of hippies. 

To me, that can be either embarrassing or hilarious, depending on what kind of mood I'm in.

Basil is my favorite herb in the whole world.  These are the basil plants on our balcony.  I like to run my hands over the plant and smell my hands.  It makes me close my eyes and smile every time. 

Does that make me a hippy?  Silly Grandma.

I really like my little cookbook, Cook This Not That by David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding.  They are editors of Men's Health, Women's Health, etc.  In the book, they feature a popular restaurant dish like Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad, disclose how much fat and calories and sodium it has, and then offer an alternative recipe to make at home that is much healthier and cheaper.   The Oriental Chicken Salad (which used to be my favorite) has 1,430 calories and 16g of saturated fat.  Are you kidding me?  You will be amazed at all your favorite restaurant foods that you thought sounded so healthy... that are not.  And the foods you knew weren't healthy... are worse than you thought.

So here's the skinny on our Chicken Parmesan recipe:

Chicken Parmigiana at Romano's Macaroni Grill
850 calories, 11g saturated fat, 1,700 mg sodium ..... $13.25

Chicken Parmesan (with fresh basil) homemade
340 calories, 11g fat (4g saturated), 670 mg sodium ..... $3.79

See why I like this book?  It has many other handy food, cooking and equipment tips along with the dozens of recipes.

Chicken Parmesan
Compliments of JennaDish

from Cook This Not That

SERVES 4

To make this dish extra healthy and tasty, buy upgraded ingredients. Amish or free range chicken, panko bread crumbs (stocked by regular crumbs in the store, or in the Asian aisle), fresh Parmesan and mozzarella, good quality tomato sauce like Muir Glen.  And of course fresh basil leaves.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4-6 oz each)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs, preferably panko
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/2 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce
4 oz mozzarella, sliced thin or shredded
Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Preheat the broiler.  Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it is uniformly about 1/4" thick.  Season with salt and pepper.

Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl.  Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning on a large plate.

Dip each breast into the egg whites to coat both sides and then into the crumb mixture, patting the crumbs so they fully cover the chicken.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat.  Cook the chicken for 3 - 4 minutes on the first side before turning.  (The crust should be deeply browned and crunchy.)  Cook for another 2 - 3 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a baking sheet.

Spoon the tomato sauce over the chicken pieces, then top with the cheese and place underneath the broiler for 2 - 3 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.  Serve garnished with basil.